tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34222815.post115983489762444281..comments2023-10-30T07:48:58.777-05:00Comments on Floss religiously: Questions about prayerJosh Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379427243846989517noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34222815.post-1160364233566816092006-10-08T22:23:00.000-05:002006-10-08T22:23:00.000-05:00A lot of the things you are talking about I have t...A lot of the things you are talking about I have thought a lot about also.<BR/>I get irritated at public prayers because they seem predictable and not very personal. I know when I pray at night, sometimes I can be predictable, but most of the time I am not. An when I find myself being predictable I stop myself and just really talk to Him. When I pray I ask God questions, wonder, talk things out, ask Him to bless certain situations about certain people in my life, let Him know that he deserves and will get all the glory for everything in my life. But public prayers, why do we bow, when He is obviously up? I mean if we go along with the thought that He is also everywhere, then just by bowing we are showing respect. A lot of times when we pray in public I don't listen as much as I should and I say my own prayer...Alright, well, I just felt like I should add my thoughts. See ya!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34222815.post-1160104897294746982006-10-05T22:21:00.000-05:002006-10-05T22:21:00.000-05:00maybe i'll just keep letting my mind wander during...maybe i'll just keep letting my mind wander during all these public prayers.<BR/><BR/>i'm still open to suggestions though.Josh Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07379427243846989517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34222815.post-1159931695018800452006-10-03T22:14:00.000-05:002006-10-03T22:14:00.000-05:00These are good questions. I think that public pray...These are good questions. I think that public prayer has turned into performance art much the same way preaching has changed from teaching to a pep talk for the religious.<BR/><BR/>Granted, there are many preachers that wish to share their views and discoveries with their congregation and are blessed with the means to convey it publicly. However, I can’t count the number of church services I’ve been to that seem more contrived than passionate. <BR/><BR/>I am reminded of a man at my old church who was a retired preacher. When he got up to say a prayer everyone started timing him because he’d always squeeze a quick sermon in. I don’t know if he was showboating per se, but it was easy to question the sincerity of all those Church of Christ-isms in a row. So much of what we do is just habit and tradition (sorry, the 1st century church didn’t have contribution “separate and apart” from communion…) and I think that public prayer ends up being just that. <BR/><BR/>I guess when I pray publicly I like to think of it as a time to pray a blessing upon the group. I suppose anyone can freely oppose what I say when I pray. Someone could pray quietly to themselves “Dear God, please don’t bring your blessings to me today, amen.”<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I’ll shut up now and leave you with this example:<BR/>http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Num.6:22-27;&version=31;DKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00001264740386513007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34222815.post-1159905220312762682006-10-03T14:53:00.000-05:002006-10-03T14:53:00.000-05:00Hmmm. You've posed too many questions for me to an...Hmmm. You've posed too many questions for me to answer. Maybe you should pray about it some... publicly of course... preferably loud and on a busy street corner.Philiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09652158928925961958noreply@blogger.com